to go for the gold
4
4.4
- idiom
:
ir por el oro
- Every participant in the competition is eager to go for the gold this year, aiming for the top prize.
- want to go for the gold
Examples
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The athletes trained hard all year because they wanted to go for the gold in the Olympics.
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There's nothing wrong with going for the gold once you have a great foundation down, and you don't want to get overwhelmed before you even get started!
Blog text (23) -
Alright, time to go for the gold.
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When they go for the gold, we'll make our break.
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Put the past to rest; look forward; dream big dreams; go for the gold.
Blog text (11) -
So gather up your group, put them in training, and go for the gold!
Academic text (1992) -
As usual, he challenged himself to go for the gold and applied to the California Institute of the Arts.
Academic text (2013) -
Go for the gold, Rafer.
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We're here on east Broadway to see the finest freestyle skiers in the world going for the gold in three events.
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Just keep your fingers crossed for me as I go for the gold in two weeks... and hopefully bring back a crown for Flint and the rest of the Michigan state.
Synonyms
156
3.7
To work very hard to reach a goal
9
3.6
Try to win a game or match rather than just take part
2
4.7
Try to reach a very high and difficult goal
1
5.9
To try very hard and do anything to achieve something
Antonyms
How Ambitious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the verb phrase 'go for' (pursue or try to obtain) with 'the gold' (the top prize/first-place medal), so its meaning — to attempt to win first place — is directly inferable from the constituents. This compositional use of 'gold' as a symbol for first place is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the words can readily understand the expression.
Etymology
The idiom go for the gold comes from sports like the Olympics, where athletes try to win the top gold medal by giving their best. That's why it now means 'to try very hard to win first place or be the best'.